My favorite movie genre- Powerpoint

 

Film Viewing Practice Essay "Agent Carter"

     To begin with, the film "Agent Carter" is about a woman who defies gender stereotypes to work an office job while also going on secret missions. While discussing camera shots and angles, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene, the film uses these to help the viewers understand the film and components of the characters. 

    The camera shots are used to construct meaning and make emotions. You can see this in close shots, which makes viewers focus on the emotion in the characters face. In Agent Carter specifically it is seen when the woman is trying to communicate with Steve. You can also see establishing shots in the film. These shots help the viewers understand the setting. There is a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge which shows that everything is taking place.

    In the beginning of the film, there are editing strategies right away. There is a clear contrast begin used between Agent Carter and the man on the space ship. The editing is the film going. back and forth between the two shots. This is used to demonstrate the dire situation that the man is in and what is going on with other people at the same time. This could also be seen as simultaneity because both are happing at the same time. This is evident because they are having a conversation while the edit is taking place. There is another clear example of contrast when Agent Carter is at the office and two men go outside to meet her but there is another man inside. The man inside is eating and reading while paying no attention to the events outside. But, the mood is very serious and you can even hear crickets in the background. When the fight breaks out the film goes back and forth between the inside and outside of the office. 

    Another component that plays a big role in this film and many others is sound. There is background music in many scenes. This adds to the mood of the scene and also helps the viewers understand the emotions that are portrayed in the film.  One example is the scene where Agent carter is in the office handing out papers and sees a picture of the man in here desk. This is when the music begins. This shows the seriousness and the emotion she feels when she sees the picture. The music stops when her boss interrupts showing that she stops thinking about the photo and the mood is over. The same music appears again which reestablishes the mood. The film also uses post synchronization dubbing like sound of punches and glass shattering when Carter attacks the two men. The sound portrays the pain she is putting on the two men. The horror sounds create suspense, which is scene when the other man picks up the gun.

     While discussing mis-en-scene, this is mostly scene in this film through the setting. This film has a very detailed and specific setting which helps viewers understand the situation. Te offices and control room that Agent Carter are in show what kind of a person Carter is. The lighting also plays a role in this. It is dark and gloomy which shows seriousness and suspense. The costume shows Agent Carter as a woman who is professional and takes her job very seriously. Agent Carter uses all these elements to show herself as a hardworking woman in the workplace which adds to the value of the film.

   

Film Elements Graphic Organizer Q2 weeks 2and3

 

Q2 week 1

Mise en scene 

I chose to comment on the mise en scene on the movie "Moana". I chose to comment on this movie because it is one of my favorite movies and I believe that the the setting, costumes, and more are all appealing and play a big role in how good movie is. 

Setting- Moana takes place 3,000 years ago in the islands of Polynesia, and area that includes Hawaii, Tonga, and Tahiti. The movie starts by opening up to a majestic bird flying through an open area showing beautiful waters and pretty green land. The movie Moana used deep space which is when there are important components in the from located both close to and far form the camera. It is used to emphasize the distance between objects and or characters as well as any obstacles that exist between them. This is seen in Moana when sees the glowing rock (heart of the island) that she wants to get. The strategy of deep space is used because Moana is trying to get the rock but things keep getting in the way and the distance keeps getting further and further. 

Lighting- For the most part the lighting in the movie is natural because of the setting. The setting plays a big role in the lighting because on the island, the lighting is from the sun. The lighting I would say is fairly bright because the sun and the reflection of the sun on the water. Relating to the three point lighting, I would say that the closest is the high key lighting. I would say this because the lighting is bright and gives off a happy vibe instead of a gloomy, sad, or suspicious vibe like low key lighting would. But in the beginning of the movie, there is a little low key lighting. This is seen right in the beginning when the story is being told and it gives off a mysterious and suspicious vibe. The overall lighting of the whole movie gives off the mood of beachy and an island life.

Costume- Costume is the most noticeable aspect of mise en scene. In Moana, the costume plays a big role in the movie and the plot in the movie. The costumes in this movie show that the characters are islanders and their outfits are something you would see a tribe wear. Moana, the main character has on a tapa, which is a textile made from a mulberry tree, and her skirt is made from pandanas. In the movie you can tell that all their outfits would be handmade and not bought. 

Staging- Because the movie is a cartoon, it is not that easy to write on the staging of the movie. One method I noticed in the movie was blocking. This is when the actors are positioned to show dominance within each other. I saw this in Moana when Moanas dad is yelling at Moana for going to close to the water. The dad is positioned to be "hovering" Moana while yelling at her. This shows dominance and that the dad is clearly in charge. 

Costume- 

weeks 8&9 sound to films

 

1. In my first clip which is the leitmotif, I added the song "Proud to be an American" because that song represents the theme throughout the store, which is Pro America and support towards our president. Adding background music is a form of non-diegetic sound. 

2. In my second clip, symbolism, I did a voice over to better explain my transition and what the pumpkins were symbolizing. I explained how the pumpkins show that it is thanksgiving time. Voice over is a form of non-diegetic sound.

3. In my third clip, contrast, I used sound effects to show the difference between ketchup and mustard. Overall I think that ketchup is more popular and more people like it so I put bubbly noises. For the mustard, not as many people like it so I put booing noises. 

4. In my fourth clip, parallelism, I used sound effects again to show the difference between how busy it is at the coffee bar which is the first clip, and the juice bar, the second clip. When I showed the coffee bar you can tell it is slow and no customers, so I put cricket noises. In the scene with the juice bar, it was busy and you can tell that by the girl at the cash register giving someone their change, so I put cheering noises to tell the audience there is a lot of people there. 

5. And for my fifth clip, simultaneity, I used music again. I showed the quiet grocery part of the store and then I showed the bar upstairs that had loud music and people dancing. Both of these are happening at the same time. For the quiet grocery section I added music of relaxing lobby music. Then, for the upstairs bar, I added club music. I could have left the shot of upstairs without music and it would have been direct sound, but it was not as busy as it usually is so I wanted to get the point across. 

Week 7- Master edits in professional films.

 The Lion King- Theresa Keegan

1. Simultaneity 

In the Lion King, simultaneity is shown within these two clips. While Simba is enjoying his new life in the new area with Timon and Pumba, Pride Rock is suffering terribly under the leadership of Scar. This is simultaneity because it shows the relation between two events happening at the same time. If Simba was not in the new area with Timon and Pumba, and back in Pride Rock, he would be king, not Scar. So, if Simba was home and king, Pride Rock would not be gloomy, dry, and suffering. 

2. Symbolism

    

                         Symbolism is seen in the Lion King within the color of the fur of the lions. I am comparing the color of the lions Simba and Scar. Simbas' fur is a golden color with a red mane. These colors symbolize power and peace. Also, all of the other lions in Simbas' pride are light colored brown which represents warmth, welcoming, and peaceful. On the other hand, Scar is a dark colored lion with a black mane. All of Scars pride are dark colored hyenas and some are even black. Black symbolizes evil, mysterious, rebellious, and death. This applies to Scar and his pride because they are the bad guys in the movie, constantly trying to kill Simba, and did kill Mufasa. 

3. Leitmotiff

                                            You see leitmotiff in the Lion King when Simba sees his father, Mufasa, ghosts. The first time this happens Simba sees him in the reflection of the water. First Simba sees his own reflection but when he looks harder, he sees Mufasa. In the next scene, Simba sees Mufasas ghost in the clouds. Mufasa talks to Simba and that was the sign Simba needed to see to go back to Pride Rock and save the kingdom. In the third scene, after Simba defeats Scar and wins back Pride Rock, Simba hears Mufasa in the sky basically saying that he did the right thing and that he was proud of him. This is leitmotiff because it is a re-occuring theme throughout the film.

Weeks 5 and 6- master edits

 Video:

1. Leitmotif: In my video, I showed leitmotif all throughout the store, Seed To Table. Leitmotif are elements that contribute to the overall structure of something. Leitmotif is a re-occuring theme seen within something or someplace. At Seed To Table, the theme of the whole store is patriotism and loving your country as well as the owners supporting President Trump. Throughout the store there are many American flags, Trump signs, and even Trump cutouts, which al contribute to the leitmotif that is going on in the store. 

2. Symbolism: Symbolism is the art of imbuing object or things with meaning, making them represent something more than the sum of its parts. In my video I show symbolism in Seed To Table. Currently the whole store is decorated for fall. Most decorations are for Thanksgiving. The object I used to show symbolism with are the pumpkins all over the store. The pumpkins resemble the fall time and especially Thanksgiving. 

3. Contrast: Contrast often means opposite, but contrast can also happen when two things are just very different. In my video I showed the contrast between ketchup and mustard. They both are condiments, but they each have very different flavors. 

4: Parallelism: Parallelism is an editing technique seen in films that shows two or more scenes that happen simultaneously that happen in different locations. Most of the time regarding parallelism, the corresponding scenes will eventually meet or have some sort of connection action. In my video I showed parallelism in Seed To Table by showing two different locations, the coffee bar and the juice bar. That is two different locations that work in the same department so at one point in the night all the workers at both bar have to come together and finish the night. 

5: Simultaneity: Simultaneity is the relation between two events assumed to be happening at the same time in a given frame of reference. I showed this in my video by showing life at Seed to Table. While people are doing their regular grocery shopping through the store, in the same building only upstairs, people are having a full course meal while enjoying a live band and a full bar. The relationship between these two events/locations, is that it is all the same building and company.